A fallacy is an invalid argument that appears valid. There are formal fallacies involving logical form and informal fallacies involving content. Informal fallacies include relevance fallacies, arguments against the person, ambiguity fallacies, and fallacies of missing the point. Fallacies arise from careless reasoning, unchecked emotions, or intentional deception and can be avoided by developing logical skills and self-awareness.

1. FALLACIES

2. FALLACY A fallacy is an argument which appears to be valid but in reality it is not so. It is an invalid argument which is camouflaged and which can deceive or mislead us by a show of truth. It is, so to speak, a trap, something Tricky or hidden. Being mistakes in reasoning, fallacies arises from the violation of one or other of the principles on which the correctness of reasoning depends.

3. A fallacy may be committed unintentionally or intentionally. When the fallacy is committed unintentionally it is called paralogism. AND when it is committed intentionally then it is called sophism. Fallacies can be formal and informal.

4. FORMAL FALLACY A formal fallacy is one that can be detected by analyzing the form of an argument, such fallacies affect only deductive argument.

5. INFORMAL FALLACY An informal fallacy is one that can be identified only by analyzing the content of an argument, such fallacies can affect both deductive and inductive arguments.

6. FALLACIES OF RELEVANCE

7. THE FALLACY OF RELEVANCE The fallacy of relevance share the common characteristics that the argument in which they occur have premises that are logically irrelevant to the conclusion. Yet the premises are relevant psychologically, so the conclusion may seem to follow from the premises, even though it does not follow logically.

8. In an argument that commit fallacy of relevance, the connection between premises and conclusion is emotional. To identify a fallacy of relevance, one must be able to distinguish genuine evidence from various forms of emotional appeal.

9. APPEAL TO FORCE (ARGUMENTUM de BACULUM) The fallacy of appeal to force occurs whenever an arguer poses a conclusion to another person and tells that person either implicitly or explicitly that some harm will come to him or her if he or she does not accept the conclusion. The fallacy always involves a threat by the arguer to the physical or psychological well being of the listener or reader, who may be either a single person or group of persons. Such a threat is logically irrelevant to the subject matter of the conclusion.

11. So any argument based on such procedure is fallacies. It occurs when children argue with one another. Child to play mate: wrestling is the best program on TV and if you don’t believe it, I am going to call my big brother over here he’s going to beat you up. But it occurs among adults as well. Secretary to boss: I deserve a raise in salary for the coming year: after all, you know how friendly I am with your wife, and I am sure you wouldn't want her to find out what’s being going on between you and that client of yours. The first example involves physical threat, the second a psychological threat. While neither threat provides any genuine evidence that the conclusion is true.

12. APPEAL TO PITY ( ARGUMENTUM ad MISERICORDIAN) The appeal to pity fallacy occurs when an arguer attempts to support a conclusion by merely evoking pity from the reader or listener. This pity may be directed towards the arguer or towards some third party.

14. Example: TAX PAYER TO JUDGE: Your honor, I admit that I declared thirteen children as dependents on my tax return, even though I have only two. But if you find me guilty of tax evasion, my reputation will be ruined. I shall probably lose my job, my poor wife will not be able to have the operation that she desperately needs and my kids will starve. Surely I am not guilty.

15. The conclusion of this argument is “Surely I am not guilty”. The conclusion is not logically relevant, although it is psychologically relevant.

16. APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE (ARGUMENTUM ad POPULum) Nearly every one want to be Loved Esteemed Admired Valued recognized and accepted by others. The appeal to the people uses there desires to get the reader or listener to accept a conclusion. Two approaches are involved One is DIRECT The other is INDIRECT

17. THE DIRECT APPROACH The direct approach occurs when an arguer, addressing a large group of people, excites the emotions and enthusiasm of the crowd to win acceptance for his or her conclusion. The objective is to arouse a kind of mob mentality. This is a strategy used by nearly every propagandist and demagogue. Politicians and some state rulers are masters of this techniques.

18. INDIRECT APPROACH In the indirect approach the arguer aims his or her appeal not to the crowd as a whole but at one or more individuals separately. The indirect approach includes such specific forms as the bandwagon argument, the appeal to snobbery and the appeal to vanity. All are standard techniques of the advertising industry. Here is an example of Bandwagon argument:

19. Of course you want to buy zest toothpaste. Why, 90 percent of America brushes with zest. The idea is you will be left behind, if you don not use the product. APPEAL TO VANITY: It often associates the product with someone, who is admired and pursued if you use it. Example: The gold leaf man represents the ultimate in masculinity. Gold leaf cigarettes – For those who stand out as real men. APPEAL TO SNOBBERY: Depends on a similar kind of association. A Rolls Royce is not for every one. If you qualify as one of the select few, this distinguished classic may be seen and driven at British Motor cars. (By appointment only, please)

20. ARGUMENT AGAINST THE PERSON (Argumentum ad Hominem) This fallacy always involves two arguers, one of them advances a certain argument, and the other then responds by directing his or her attention not to the first person’s argument but to the first person himself. When this occurs, the second person is said to commit an argument against the person. This argument against the person occurs in three forms. The ad hominem abusive, the ad hominem circumstantial and the tu quoque. In the ad hominem abusive, the second person responds to the first person’s argument by verbally abusing the first person. Example poet Allen has argued in favour of abolishing censorship of pornographic literature. But Allen’s arguments are nothing but trash. Allen, You know, is a thorough going advocate of the drug culture. This argument is irrelevant and fallacious.

22. The ad hominem circumstantial begins when the respondent attempts to discredit the opponent, argument by alluding to certain circumstances that affect the opponent. Bill Gates has argued at length that Microsoft Corporation does not have a monopoly on computer disc operating systems. But Gates is chief executive officer of Microsoft, and he want to avoid antitrust action against his company .Therefore we should ignore Gates arguments the author of this passage ignore the substance of Gate’s argument and attempts instead to discredit it by calling attention to certain circumstances that affect Gates.

23. The Tu quoque (“you too”) fallacy begins when the second arguer attempts to make the first appear to be hypocritical of arguing in a bad faith. Example Child to parent: your argument that stop stealing candy from the shop is no good. You told me yourself just a weak ago that you, too, stole candy when you were a kid.

24. ACCIDENT The fallacy of accident is committed when a general rule is applied to a specific case it was not intended to cover. Typically the general rule is cited in the premises and then wrongly applied to the specific case in the conclusion e.g. Freedom of speech is a constitutionally guaranteed right.Therefor G.M syed, Radical should not be arrested for his speech that incited the riot last week. E.g. Property should be returned to its rightful owner. Therefore, Mr jan who is starting a fight with his opponents at the hostel lent you his pistol, and now it wants it back, Therefore, your, should return it to him now. In this first example the rule does not apply because the speech incited the riot. In the second example also the rule doe not apply because the return of the pistol might result in serious injury or death.

25. STRAW MAN The straw man fallacy is committed when an arguer distort an opponent’s argument for the purpose of more easily attacking it, demolishes the distorted argument and then concludes that the opponent’s real argument has been demolished. By so doing, the arguer is said to have set up a straw man and knocked it down, only to conclude that the real man has been knock down as well. Example Karl Marx has argued against prayer in the public schools. Obviously Karl Marx advocates atheism. But atheism is what they used to have in Russia. Atheism leads to the suppression of all religions and the replacement of God by an omnipotent state. Is that what we want for this country? I hardly think so. Clearly Karl Marx’s argument is non sense. MISSING THE POINT ( IGNORATIO ELENCHI ) It means ( “ignorance of Proofs” ). This fallacy occurs when the premises of an argument support one particular conclusion, but then a different conclusion, often vaguely related to the correct conclusion, is drawn.

26. Example: Crimes of Theft and robbery have been increasing at an alarming rate. The conclusion is obvious: we must reinstate the death penalty immediately. Abuse of the welfare system is rampant now a days. Our only alternative is to abolish the system altogether at least two correct conclusions are implied by the premise of the first argument: either" we should increase police protection in vulnerable areas or we should initiate programs to eliminate the cause of the crimes”. Reinstating death penalty is not a logical conclusion at all. In the second argument the premises logically suggest some systematic efforts to eliminate the cheaters rather than eliminating the system altogether.

27. FALLACIES OF AMBIGUITY The fallacies of ambiguity include equivocation and amphibology. There fallacies arises from the occurrence of some form of ambiguity in either the premise or the conclusion (or both). A term is ambiguous, if it is susceptible to different interpretations in a given context. When the conclusion of an argument depends on a certain interpretation being given to an ambiguous term or statement, the argument commits a fallacy of ambiguity.

28. EQUIVOCATION The fallacy of equivocation occurs when the conclusion of an argument depends on fact that a word or phrase is used in two different senses in the argument. Such argument are either invalid or have a false premise and in either case they are unsound. Examples:

29. Some triangles are obtuse. Whatever is obtuse is ignorant. Therefore, some triangles are ignorant. Any law can be repealed by the legislative authority. But the law of gravity is a law. Therefore, the law of gravity can be repealed by the legislative authority. We have a duty to do what is right. We have a right to speak out in defense of the innocent. Therefore, we have a duty to speak out in defense of the innocent.

30. AMPHIBOLY The fallacy of amphiboly occurs, when the arguer misinterpret a statement that is syntactically ambiguous and proceeds to draw a conclusion based on this faulty interpretation. The syntactical ambiguity arises from a mistake in grammar or punctuation. A missing comma A dangling modifier An ambiguous antecedent of a pronoun Or some other careless arguments of words Because of this ambiguity, the statement may be understood in two clearly distinguishable ways. Examples: The tour guide said that standing in Balahisar fort, the Peshawar city could easily be seen. It follows that the Peshawar city is in Balahisar fort.

31. AVOIDING FALLACIES Three factors that underlie the commission of fallacies in real life argumentation are the intent of the arguer, mental carelessness combined with unchecked emotions, and unexamined world views. The first is intent. Many fallacies are committed intentionally. The arguer may know well that his reasoning is defective but goes ahead with it because of some benefit for himself or some other persons. The key to avoiding fallacies that are intentionally committed probably lies in some form of moral education. The arguer must realize that using intellectual dishonest means to acquire something he does not deserve it is another form of cheating.

32. The second factor that leads to the commission of fallacy is mental carelessness combined with unchecked emotions. The key to avoiding such fallacies lies in developing a thorough familiarity with the informal fallacies combined with the habitual realization of how emotions effect peoples reasoning. Every one should realize that unchecked emotions are an open invitation to illogical reasoning. The third factor is unexamined world view. To avoid this fallacy the arguer must acknowledge and critique his presupposition. Doing so inclines the arguer to express his argument in language that takes those presupposition into account. The result is always an argument that is more intelligently formed, and is more persuasive.